Entry-level Validation Engineer salary in Los Angeles, CA

Based on 24 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Irvine, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Rancho Dominguez, Anaheim.

Median salary$81,200
Middle 50%$76.6k–$90.5k
vs. all levels here−36%comparison median $127,200
Filings24FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $76,457 and $114,561.
PercentileSalary
10th$76,586
25th$76,586
50th (median)$81,200
75th$90,500
90th$105,000

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $70k $90k FY2020: median $64,012 (44 filings) FY2021: median $70,360 (54 filings) FY2022: median $72,255 (38 filings) FY2023: median $70,000 (19 filings) FY2024: median $80,000 (11 filings) FY2025: median $84,000 (11 filings) FY2026: median $76,586 (13 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 44 filings FY20 FY2021: 54 filings FY21 FY2022: 38 filings FY22 FY2023: 19 filings FY23 FY2024: 11 filings FY24 FY2025: 11 filings FY25 FY2026: 13 filings FY26 54
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$64,012$58,600$72,00044
FY2021$70,360$63,024$75,00054
FY2022$72,255$69,250$78,07538
FY2023$70,000$69,514$76,25019
FY2024$80,000$73,661$95,00011
FY2025$84,000$78,500$90,00011
FY2026$76,586$76,586$92,00013

Cost of living

Los Angeles's median entry-level Validation Engineer salary of $81,200 is worth about $71,500 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Los Angeles = 113.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Validation Engineers in the Los Angeles, CA area earned a median of $125,060 in May 2025 (7,530 employed). The H-1B median here is $81,200, 35% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Field AItoo few4
Motivo Engineeringtoo few3
AVM Consultingtoo few2
Partners In Controltoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $81,200 24
Mid-level · Level II $110,000 35
Senior · Level III $147,000 31
Expert · Level IV $160,000 24

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$76,586$81,20024
Mid-level · Level II$101,899$110,00035
Senior · Level III$127,192$147,00031
Expert · Level IV$152,506$160,00024

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.